News of the day from across the nation, Oct. 8

Chronicle News Services

Published 4:50 pm, Wednesday, October 7, 2015

1Search ends: The Coast Guard has told family members it is ending its search for 33 missing crew members from a U.S. cargo ship that sank last week during Hurricane Joaquin. The 790-foot cargo ship sank Thursday off the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin, a Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds that was producing 50-foot waves. Officials say the ship’s captain had plans to go around the storm as he headed from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico but the El Faro suffered unexplained engine failure that left it unable to avoid the storm.

2Cosby lawsuit: A judge on Wednesday refused to throw out a lawsuit filed by a woman who accuses Bill Cosby of molesting her when she was 15, saying the comedian can still receive a fair trial despite procedural errors. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Karlan’s ruling came over the objections of Cosby’s attorneys, who sought to dismiss Judy Huth’s case because her previous attorney violated rules for how older sex-abuse cases should be handled. Cosby’s attorney Martin Singer argued the lawsuit improperly included Cosby’s name, which caused the comedian harm and required him to defend himself against numerous other allegations from women who claim he abused them decades ago. Huth, 57, claims Cosby forced her to perform a sex act on him at the Playboy Mansion around 1974.

3Reid accident: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and his wife, Landra, are suing the manufacturer of the exercise band he was using that slipped or snapped during a workout, leading to the Nevada Democrat’s eye injury. According to court documents filed in Clark County, Nev., Reid alleges that the injury resulted from a faulty exercise resistance band, causing more than $50,000 in damages. The New Year’s Day accident has led to Reid going blind in his right eye, and he has been asked repeatedly if he would seek damages from the manufacturer, TheraBand.

4 “Jock tax”: The city of Cleveland says it is within its rights to tax visiting professional athletes based on the number of games they play a year because taxation is a matter of local jurisdiction. In a filing Tuesday, the city asked the U.S. Supreme Court to back its position after the Ohio Supreme Court struck down Cleveland’s system earlier this year. The state court ruled that Cleveland’s method for taxing athletes violates players’ due process rights. It ruled the city must assess taxes based on the total number of days each visiting player works in a year, as is common elsewhere.

5 Purple fire truck: A Pennsylvania volunteer fire company is using a purple fire truck to raise awareness of domestic violence. The Newburg Fire Company in Logan Township uses the truck in parades and other public events. Although many people know October is a month when pink objects call attention to breast cancer, it’s also the month designated to raise awareness of domestic violence.